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Flight cancellations at Hamburg Airport after a surprise strike by workers affected more than 40,000 passengers on Sunday, a day before a planned wider protest across Germany amid new contract negotiations.

The airport in Germany’s second largest city said the one-day strike, called over pay and conditions, began earlier than expected “without any notice.”

A German trade union had called for strikes at 13 major German airports to take place on Monday - but then staged the strike at Hamburg airport on Sunday. View on euronews

The start of a spontaneous strike, organized today, March 9, by the Verdi trade union without any prior warnings, paralyzed the operation of Hamburg airport, Focus magazine writes.

Passengers hoping for a smooth getaway this weekend were left high and dry as a sudden strike at Hamburg Airport threw travel plans into disarray.

Germany's Verdi union has brought forward the planned warning strike at Hamburg airport by one day, largely paralysing air traffic on Sunday.

Germany's Munich and Hamburg airports were hit by strikes by public sector union Verdi on Thursday and Friday, with airlines cancelling about 80% of flights in Munich.

All flights to and from Hamburg Airport have been cancelled in response to a pay strike after services trade union verdi brought the action forward by a day without prior notice, an airport spokeswoman announced on Sunday.